Man diagnosed with internet addiction because of Google Glass

Dreaming of Glass

The first known case of diagnosed internet addiction can be attributed to one thing: Google Glass.

The augmented reality wearable can help users navigate the world and snap photos, but it apparently can also prove so addictive that one man suffered from symptoms of withdrawal when he takes it off.

Scientists are treating the man, who feels grumpy when he's not wearing Google Glass, compulsively taps his temple, and sees his dreams as if he's wearing it, for internet addiction disorder.

He had reportedly been using Glass 18 hours a day, taking it off to sleep and bathe, in the two months since he bought it.

Well there's your problem

No doubt the guy has been wearing Google Glass too much, but he should also be getting more than five and a half hours of sleep.

The idea that internet addiction even exists has been debated, but the US Navy's Substance Abuse and Recovery Program's (SARP) head of addictions and resilience research Dr. Andrew Doan, who co-authored the paper on the Glass addict, said "it's just going to take a while for us to realize that this is real.

He said there's nothing inherently bad about Google Glass, but that wearables in general may prove problematic for addicts because they provide near-constant stimulation.

He compared internet addiction to alcoholism, which was also met with skepticism at one time.

That's what the patient, a 31-year-old Navy serviceman, had checked into SARP for - but when they confiscated all his electronics they noticed he had other problems too.

However after 35 days of treatment he was released from SARP and referred to a 12-step alcohol addiction program, so hopefully his condition is on the up.